Board Game
by blacktop
Summary: Carter is pressured by her captain in the aftermath of the disaster at the Moretti safe house. Checkmate seems unavoidable. A short, tough look at a difficult passage for our hero.


**Board Game**

_Note: A conversation between Detective Carter and her captain in the squad room the day after her partner Szymanski was shot at the Moretti safe house. Spoilers for "Baby Blue."_

You look like hell, Carter.

I was at the hospital all night.

And you couldn't go home and change or nothing? Jesus, Carter, have a little care for your brother cops here. You got blood all over your shirt, for Christ's sake. You think anybody here wants to see that, do ya?

I wanted to stay until Szymanski got out of surgery.

…

And then I just figured I would come straight here instead of going back for a change of clothes.

Yeah? Well that's just the start of your crazy figuring. So how's he doing?

The doctors say the next 24 hours will tell. It's close. He lost a lot of blood. But he is strong and he could come out alright.

So, what happened there? I thought you two had that safe house gig locked up tight.

We got busted.

How? Who did it?

I don't know what happened. When I got there the door was wide open, Szymanski was on the floor, shot. I tried to stop the bleeding as best I could, but he just kept on bleeding…

….

I called it in, asked for the bus, said an officer was down. They got there fast. I just kept telling Szymanski to hold on, not let go, help was coming, not go…

Where was Moretti in all this?

I don't know. He was gone when I got to the house.

Signs of a struggle or something?

No, no struggle. The lock was busted, coffee table overturned, but other than that the place was clean.

How did you know to head to the safe house in the first place?

I, uh, I was on my way there anyway. I was going there to relieve Szymanski. He'd been there for more than 10 hours and it was my shift. When I got there, that's what I found. I'll write it up in my report.

This doesn't fit, Carter. Your operation got busted, your partner got shot, your prisoner got taken, and you just standing here telling me a half-assed story that doesn't hang together.

….

And you got nothing to say?

…

You don't even look like you really want to find out how this went down.

I want to find out, Captain.

Then give me some facts I can hang a believable report on. I gotta give the bosses something they can take to City Hall.

Are you going to authorize a city-wide net for Moretti?

Why would I do that?

If we can find him we can stop Elias from killing him and stop a whole lot more killing after that.

You been on your feet too long, Carter, you're losing it. Look, it's been over 24 hours since Moretti got took. You think Elias and his old man are sitting around somewhere on Coney Island drinking ice tea and having a cozy chat for old times' sake? Moretti is dead and sunk in the marsh off Elizabeth by now.

…

Look, Carter. Here's some free advice from someone who's been around the block a lot more times than you: Drop this Elias thing. You're not smart enough to get him and you're only going to get yourself in more trouble. And get more good cops killed while you're at it. Elias has got smart new people working for him now, quick people with skills and know-how. They are putting this city back together and you'd be smart to face the facts. Things are changing.

Captain, I don't believe that. It doesn't have to go that way.

You play chess, Carter?

I play with my son some times.

Yeah, my pop taught me too. Well, here's how it looks now: you lost your last good pawn when Szymanski went down. If you are counting on Fusco, I wouldn't. Elias captured your bishop last night and you got no more pieces left. It's you alone on that big, wide board. No rook, no knight, no one left between you and checkmate.

….

So go home and get cleaned up. Take Taylor out to the park, buy him some lemonade, play a few games of chess. And forget about Elias. You understand me?

Yeah, I hear you, Captain.

O.K., that's all I got now. I would say take the rest of the week off, given what all went down and all. But I got that Agent Snow coming in for a meeting tomorrow. He asked me to make sure you join us.

…

So, you gotta come in tomorrow. Leave your paperwork with Kosloff and I'll see if I can comp you the time. You can take some days next week, O.K.?

…

Jeez, Carter, get outta here, you look like hell.


End file.
